FORT WORTH, Texas -- Neil Dougherty wasn't what TCU was looking for when it began its search for a new basketball coach.

Even though the Kansas assistant coach's name kept coming up, TCU athletic director Eric Hyman was looking for "a sitting head coach" to replace Billy Tubbs. Dougherty was the only one of five or six candidates on Hyman's list that didn't fit that description.

On Monday, it was Dougherty, an assistant to Kansas coach Roy Williams the past seven seasons, who was hired to coach the Horned Frogs.

Hyman's hesitancy changed after an initial meeting with Dougherty at a Dallas airport five weeks ago. Dougherty was then brought back for a three-hour meeting with Hyman and members of his search advisory committee before a final interview with school administrators.

"He was flawless, absolutely flawless," Hyman said. "He's so well grounded, so poised under tough circumstances. He answered some tough questions. He was remarkable."

The 40-year-old Dougherty begins his new job next week, after Kansas completes its season in the Final Four this weekend. The Jayhawks play Maryland in one of Saturday's NCAA semifinal games.

While discussing his goals for TCU, Dougherty pulled from his pocket the 6-inch piece of the net he cut down after the Jayhawks beat Oregon 104-86 Sunday to win the Midwest Regional and earn their spot in the Final Four.

"This little piece of net, it looks so insignificant as I'm holding it, but you would have to fight me to pry it out of my hand," Dougherty said. "That's what we want to get to here. I want student-athletes who come here to have the feeling, that sense of accomplishment those young men had. It was great.

"That can be done. It can be accomplished. That's exactly what we are going to set out to do."

Tubbs, who resigned at the end of the season, was 156-95 and never had a losing record in eight seasons with his running, high-scoring style at TCU. The Horned Frogs were 16-15 this year with just one senior on the team.

"We're going to take what's been started at TCU, take what he's left as a beginning point and move it into a higher gear," Dougherty said. "I think coach Tubbs got it right. There's one thing that you can always do that's going to excite fans and young basketball players, and that's get the ball up and down the floor."

Dougherty had already spoken with Tubbs, who attended the introductory news conference at the new coach's request.

"He told me `Just do what Roy's taught you and you'll be OK,' " Dougherty said.

Tubbs, who won 595 games in 28 seasons overall at TCU, Oklahoma, Lamar and Southwestern of Texas, wasn't involved in the search for his replacement.

"But I'm very pleased with the outcome. It means something to me as far as my players are concerned," Tubbs said.

"I've known Neil for a long time and watched his development. I think Neil will do a great job. I thought he really presented himself well."

Before the last seven seasons with Williams at Kansas, Dougherty was an assistant for Eddie Fogler at Vanderbilt (1989-92) and South Carolina (1993-94). He also coached at Cameron (1985-87), his alma mater, and Drake (1988).

Hyman said the endorsements of Williams and Fogler went a long way in his decision to hire Dougherty.

Wyoming coach Steve McClain, a TCU assistant for Tubbs from 1994-98, removed his name from consideration for the job Friday. McClain recently signed a seven-year contract extension with Wyoming, which beat Gonzaga in the first round of this year's NCAA Tournament.

Hyman never offered Tubbs a contract extension past 2001-02.